Hoop rolling device



April 18, 1961 J. A. BARTA 2,979,860

HOOP ROLLING DEVICE Filed Feb. 24, 1959 (/0 as /1 A.BA I? m INVENTOR United States Patent- HOOP ROLLING DEVICE Joseph A. Barta, Anawalt, W. Va.

Filed Feb. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 794,946

This invention relates to a hoop rolling device and has as its primary object the provision of an improved hoop rolling or trundling implement provided with means to preclude the accidental escape of the hoop during use.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which may be readily employed to impart rotary movement to' a rolling hoop with a minimum of effort and difliculty and which may at the same time be employed as a brake or retarding device to restrict the speed of the hoop.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which may be employed as a guide means for a hoop.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a device which may be readily employed by either a right or left handed person.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and shown in the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a hoop rolling device in accordance with the invention shown in operative position with a hoop;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the operative end of the device;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the operative end of the device, with the roller removed; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view of a portion of the hoop.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

As conducive to a clearer understanding of I this invention, it may here be pointed out that rolling or trun- -dling hoops and implements for imparting motion thereto have hitherto been commonly known and widely used for entertainment and amusement purposes. Conventionally such implements'have taken the form of sticks or the like employed to strike the rim of the hoop transversely to the direction of rolling. In some instances, pushers have been employed in which a direct thrust has been imparted to the hoop in the direction of travel. In these .latter devices, efforts have been made to prevent escape of the hoop from the control of the operator, but these have been uniformly characterized by considerable complexity and have generally been difficult to disengage from the hoop, if such disengagement has been possible at all.

A very important object of this invention is, therefore, the provision of such a device which may be employed either as, a striker, or a pusher, which is provided with 'means for guiding and controlling the speed of the hoop said shank between said grip and pusher elements adapted 2,979,860 Patented Apr. 18, 1961 ICC and which may be readily engaged with or disengaged from the hoop with a minimum of effort and difiiculty.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, there is generally indicated at 10 a hoop of any desired size or material. Preferablyfithe hoop 10 is made of seamless extruded plastic tubing of a desired diameter, and provided with a reduced end portion 11 which is telescopically engaged in the opposite end 12 and secured therein in any desired manner as by friction or thermo-sealing.

The hoop may be either empty, or if desired to add weight or stability, either partially or wholly filled with sand 13 or other pulverulent material, or a fluid such as water.

The rolling device of the instant invention comprises an elongated shank 15 of any desired convenient length and comprised of any suitable material, such as metal or plastic, provided at one end with a handle grip 16. At an intermediate portion adjacent its other end, the shank 15 is provided with an arcuate ofiset portion 17 with a relatively wide radius of curvature, adapted to lie, when the device is in use, in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the rolling hoop and partially to encircle the rim thereof at a point spaced from the ground. The arcuate portionv 17 is so dimensioned as to provide a guide and restraining element for the hoop, but at the same time to permit free rotation of the hoop thereon.

The end of the shank 15 opposite the handle grip '16 is provided with a perpendicular offset 18 terminating in a lateral extension 19 of a width substantially twice the diameter of the hoop, and which in turn terminates in a perpendicularly extending tip portion 20, extending parallel to the olfset 18. A sleeve or roller 21 loosely surrounds extension 19 and provides, when positioned against the rim of the hoop 10 at a point adjacent the ground, a substantially frictionless pusher element. Sleeve 21 may also be constructed of any desired material such as metal or plastic, or even in the interest of economy, cardboard if desired.

From the foregoing, the use and operation of the device should now be readily understandable.

Hoop 10 is placed in vertical position on the ground, and roller 21 placed adjacent the lower portion of the rim with an upper portion of the rim adjacent the operator in arcuate offset portion 17. Offset 18 and tip 20 may extend downwardly from the rim as shown in the drawing, or if it is desired to provide a more positive restraint for the hoop, may be inverted to extend upwardly on either side of the rim. Pushing pressure is now exerted on shank 15 from handle grip 16 and hoop 10 may now be rolled or trundled at a desired speed, with the arcuate offset 17 effecting a gentle guiding and restraining influence thereon. In the event that the hoop escapes the restraint of the ofiset portion 17, the hook formed by portions 18, 19 and 20 may be employed to recapture the same.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there'is herein provided an improved hoop rolling device which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention and 7 grip at one end and a pusher element at the other end of said shank, an integral arcuate laterally ofiset portion in pii'tilli 1a encircle the rim of hoop when the pusher ele- References Cited-in-the file of this patent ment is juxtaposed to a portion of the rim, and a per- UNITED STATES PATENTS -pendlcular ofiset portron 1n sa1d pusher element, sard offset terminating in a firan sverse part, a freely rotatable 217,118 Koeh} "7"" July 1879 sleeve loosely surrounding said transverse partya'nd a tip 5 1,574,255 Myslmskl 1926 eg ending parallelto said perpendicular offset, said offset; 81 Entrmger 1945 :trnsverse part and tip forming a hook. V 

